VFK Astronomy Quest 2012
Description This week, April 23rd to 29th, is International Astronomy Week! April 28th is designated as International Astronomy Day! Astronomy week gives stargazers an opportunity to share the wonder of the night sky through events such as astronomical displays, public lectures, and night viewing sessions to observe the heavens. Astronomy has been an important field of study for centuries. There are several astronomers who have made revolutionary contributions to the study of astronomy, some at great peril to their lives and careers! On today's quest, let's look at some of these great astronomers and their contributions to astronomy! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Holographic Planet Projector! Prizes Questions 1. In 150 A.D, the common assumption was that the sun and all the other planets rotated around the earth. This was such a widely held belief it was part of the religious teachings of the time. Anyone contradicting this assumption was considered a heretic and punished. What ancient astronomer's writings were used as the basis for this belief called geocentrism? * Ptolemy * Galileo Galilei * Isaac Newton * Tycho Brahe 2. Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer and mathematician. The word for earth in Greek is geo, which gave rise to the name "geocentric" for his theory. Ptolemy observed the star's movements and explained their movements with mathematics, especially geometry. He used these mathemetics to predict the movements of the planets. His famous work, called the Almagesti, was accepted for many centuries. Go to Stonehenge in Medieval Age and say: "Astronomy leads us from this world to another!" 3. This geocentric view of the world persisted relatively unchallenged until the sixteenth century. A brilliant astronomer published his work called the "De Revolutionibus." This work outlined the author's belief that the Earth rotates around the Sun, a theory called heliocentrism. Who was this "revolutionary" scientist? * Aristotle * Edmond Halley * Nicholaus Copernicus * William Herschel 4. Copernicus' book, proposed that the Sun was at the center of the universe. He also organized the five known planets in the order that they are still known today: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Copernicus died shortly after publishing his book, so he could not be punished as a heretic. However, his book was placed on the "forbidden" list. Go to the Galactic Trading Post in Space Age and say: "In the center of everything the Sun must reside." 5. Anyone who studied the book written by Copernicus and believed the heliocentric view of the universe was considered to be a Copernican. One famous Copernican was a brilliant astronomer and mathematician named Galileo Galilei. Galileo made improvements to the telescope, and his findings using the telescope supported Copernicus' theories. Which of the following discoveries is attributed to Galileo? * Telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus * The four largest satellites of Jupiter (the Galilean moons) * The observation and analysis of sunspots * All of the above 6. Galileo published his observations. Unfortunately, his findings went against the established religious teaching of the times and he was brought to trial. He made a confession of wrong-doing, yet, he was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life. Go to the Observation Deck in Space Age and say: "Discover the universe!" 7. Another astronomer who noted that the astronomical observations in his time were inaccurate, set about to change that. The astronomer believed that accurate observations could vastly improve astronomy. An observatory near Copenhagen was built for him which became one of the finest observatories in Europe. Who was this influential astronomer? * Galileo Galilei * Tycho Brahe * Aristotle * Johanne Kepler 8. Brahe revolutionized the art of observing the heavens. Brahe's contributions to astronomy were many. He built new instruments of his own design and calibrated them. He also periodically checked their accuracy. Brahe was the first astronomer to make corrections for atmospheric refraction revealing a number of orbital anomalies missed by other astronomers. Go to outside of Merlin's in Medieval Age and say: "The orbit of every planet is an ellipse!" 9. One of the most brilliant astronomers ever was Johannes Kepler. He worked with Tycho Brahe and analyzed Brahe's data. Kepler was also a Copernican. Using Brahe's accurate data, he discovered several things about the planets for which he is well known. What were his discoveries named? * Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion * Kepler's Folly * Kepler's Directives on the Universe * Kepler's Guide to the Stars 10. Another scientist, Isaac Newton observed that the motions of items on Earth and of those of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws. By demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, he supported heliocentrism. Newton is widely considered to be one of the most influential scientists who ever lived. Go to the Fireworks Lobby in Victorian Age and say: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Answers 1. Ptolemy 2. Go to Stonehenge in Medieval Age and say: "Astronomy leads us from this world to another!" 3. Nicholaus Copernicus 4. Go to the Galactic Trading Post in Space Age and say: "In the center of everything the Sun must reside." 5. All of the above 6. Go to the Observation Deck in Space Age and say: "Discover the universe!" 7. Tycho Brahe 8. Go to Merlin's Square in Medieval Age and say: "The orbit of every planet is an ellipse!" 9. Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion 10. Go to the Fourth of July Fireworks Lobby in Victorian Age and say: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Category:Quests